Kamala Harris is home at Howard

Vice President Kamala Harris was on campus at Howard University last week preparing for her first presidential debate in September.

Why it matters: It's just one recent example of Harris' tight bond with her D.C. alma mater, which has remained a haven for her since graduating in 1986.

The big picture: Harris is the first historically Black college or university graduate in the White House, and she's quick to support Howard, whether it's giving a pep talk in the Bison basketball locker room or participating in a fireside chat on reproductive rights. She's quick to rep her school off-campus too.

• "Every time she has had the opportunity to speak about Howard, she has been effusive in her praise of the educational experience she had at Howard and how it prepared her," Provost Anthony Wutoh told Howard Magazine .

Driving the news: Harris and members of her team participated in a mock presidential debate at Howard last week, according to the New York Times .

• Howard spokespersons tell Axios that the school's Cramton Auditorium was rented and paid for by external parties for the purpose.
• While on campus, Harris greeted cheering crowds of new students, telling them , "You might be running for president of the United States."

Flashback: It's not the first time Harris has returned to campus for election prep.

• As Biden's vice presidential nominee, Harris kept a campaign office at Howard in 2020, per the Times . She often worked from the historic Founders Library.

Zoom in: Harris' college experiences and relationships are helping fuel her presidential campaign. Members of " the Divine Nine " prestigious Black fraternities and sororities of which Harris was part are mobilizing to support her and boost Democratic voter turnout.

• Meanwhile, the Harris campaign is emphasizing the VP's middle-class roots with a recent ad that touts her working at McDonald's while getting her degree.
• Despite speculation that she cut her teeth at the Golden Arches on Georgia Avenue, it was actually home in California on summer break.

What we're watching: If Harris will become a more regular fixture on campus in advance of the Sept. 10 debate.